My somewhat snarky essay on misadventures on a cruise ship has been published in Connotation Press. To all you cruise lovers out there, I apologize in advance.
Check it out: The Shining World
…and that was the problem. Not maintained, rutted, overgrown on either side, the mile long drive is the only way by vehicle in and out of this abandoned homestead we now spend half the year on….Read More
My somewhat snarky essay on misadventures on a cruise ship has been published in Connotation Press. To all you cruise lovers out there, I apologize in advance.
Check it out: The Shining World
After several years, we’re still exploring our acreage in northeastern Oregon. We’ve vaguely named some places through habitual reference: The Rocky Knoll, The Frog Pond. But there are other special places we just call “sweet spots.”Read More
On the day of the predicted rapture, I was too busy to follow the news of its not happening — busy taking care of all that was actually happening….Read More
Funny to arrive in Arizona in early April for a much-anticipated break from tree-rich Oregon and take pictures of trees. But how could I resist these?Read More
I’m still sorting through my reactions to the controversy emerging around Three Cups of Tea (co-authored by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin). The book has inspired many and been a platform for raising millions of dollars for the Central Asia Institute ( I recommend reading Jon Krakauer’s full allegations (pdf) against the book and [...]Read More
I love the Pacific Northwest, even west of the Cascades through our wet, gray winters. And this winter was grayer and wetter than usual. And though I still resist the call of snowbirding elders, I’ll confess I do crave at least one trip each year to a brighter, warmer place. This year, I flew to [...]Read More
I began writing poetry several years ago and still think of myself as a literary fiction writer, not a poet. Not really. Poetry is something I dabble in and play with. Even after publishing a few poems, I still hesitate to call myself a poet. Yesterday, I learned that I received second honorable mention in [...]Read More
Yet another excerpt from Sacred Threads has been published, this one in the marvelous Raven Chronicles. This issue features writing and art on corvids. My essay isn’t about crows, ravens or jays (though I’m thinking I’d like to write about them some day); it’s in the Cultural Geography section – a recurring feature in every [...]Read More
My love for cottonwoods has grown steadily over the last few years, especially in the spring when they smell so pungent and the fall when they splash yellow along the canyon bottoms. And now, I must confess, a movie — and a Western, at that — has inspired me to explore the beauty and poetry in winter cottonwoods….Read More
Urban homesteading is not usually the term I use to refer to what I’ve been doing for the best twelve years or so. I tend towards kitchen gardening or urban farming. And these days, I’m transitioning towards rural food production at Amaranta Farm. But I see those who do call themselves urban homesteaders as allies in the same movement, and I’d like to see that movement grow….Read More
Writing Inspiration comes this week from Arundhati Roy as interviewed by Amitava Kumar for Guernica Magazine. I admire so much of what she says about writing, politics, the relation between the two…Read More
Yes, I know my posting has been sparse. This winter, I’ve been a hibernating bear, slowing down and gathering my forces for the next season. I’m still working on my memoir, Sacred Threads. I’ve finished a rough draft of the entire book and am now polishing, pruning, making sure all the parts fit together. It [...]Read More
It’s so refreshing to find a bit of color in all the grays and browns of winter. I loved the gold moss on this old cottonwood (at least I’m assuming it’s a cottonwood) in the Sandy River Delta. TweetShareRead More
My essay, “Costume,” has been published in the Bio Issue of In Posse Review. TweetShareRead More